[PATCH v2 0/6] ALSA: Return -ENODEV instead of -EFAULT on module-get failure

[PATCH v2 0/6] ALSA: Return -ENODEV instead of -EFAULT on module-get failure

[phucduc.bui]

From: bui duc phuc <phucduc.bui@gmail.com>

Hi all,

Several ALSA open/allocate paths call try_module_get() on the owning card
module and return -EFAULT when it fails. However, try_module_get() fails 
when the module is no longer live (i.e. it is going away), meaning the 
device is no longer usable.
This series updates only those paths, making the error code consistent
with the existing "device unavailable" checks in the same functions.
Other -EFAULT returns are left unchanged.

Link v1: 
https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260706084950.49331-1-phucduc.bui@gmail.com/

Changes in v2: 
 - Update the commit message.
 - Remove unrelated changes from the "ALSA: control: Return -ENODEV 
   instead of -EFAULT in snd_ctl_open()" patch. 

Best regards, 
Phuc

bui duc phuc (6):
  ALSA: control: Return -ENODEV instead of -EFAULT in snd_ctl_open()
  ALSA: hwdep: Return -ENODEV instead of -EFAULT in snd_hwdep_open()
  ALSA: info: Return -ENODEV instead of -EFAULT in alloc_info_private()
  ALSA: mixer: oss: Return -ENODEV instead of -EFAULT in
    snd_mixer_oss_open()
  ALSA: pcm: oss: Return -ENODEV instead of -EFAULT in
    snd_pcm_oss_open()
  ALSA: pcm: Return -ENODEV instead of -EFAULT in snd_pcm_open()

 sound/core/control.c       | 2 +-
 sound/core/hwdep.c         | 2 +-
 sound/core/info.c          | 2 +-
 sound/core/oss/mixer_oss.c | 2 +-
 sound/core/oss/pcm_oss.c   | 2 +-
 sound/core/pcm_native.c    | 2 +-
 6 files changed, 6 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

-- 
2.43.0

[PATCH v2 1/6] ALSA: control: Return -ENODEV instead of -EFAULT in snd_ctl_open()

[phucduc.bui]

From: bui duc phuc <phucduc.bui@gmail.com>

When try_module_get() fails in snd_ctl_open(), the owning module is going
away and the device is no longer usable, so -EFAULT ("bad address") is the
wrong error. Return -ENODEV, matching the other unavailable-device paths
in this function(the NULL card check and the snd_card_file_add() failure).
This changes the errno reported to userspace on this rare race.
No other behaviour changes.

Signed-off-by: bui duc phuc <phucduc.bui@gmail.com>
---

Changes in v2: 
 - Drop the unrelated change from this series.

 sound/core/control.c | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/sound/core/control.c b/sound/core/control.c
index 037e455bb11b..0ca9fff56e51 100644
--- a/sound/core/control.c
+++ b/sound/core/control.c
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ static int snd_ctl_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 		goto __error1;
 	}
 	if (!try_module_get(card->module)) {
-		err = -EFAULT;
+		err = -ENODEV;
 		goto __error2;
 	}
 	ctl = kzalloc(sizeof(*ctl), GFP_KERNEL);
-- 
2.43.0

[PATCH v2 2/6] ALSA: hwdep: Return -ENODEV instead of -EFAULT in snd_hwdep_open()

[phucduc.bui]

From: bui duc phuc <phucduc.bui@gmail.com>

When try_module_get() fails in snd_hwdep_open(), the owning module is
going away and the device is no longer usable, so -EFAULT ("bad address")
is the wrong error. Return -ENODEV, matching the other unavailable-device
paths in this function(the NULL hw check and the card->shutdown check).
This changes the errno reported to userspace on this rare race.
No other behaviour changes.

Signed-off-by: bui duc phuc <phucduc.bui@gmail.com>
---
 sound/core/hwdep.c | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/sound/core/hwdep.c b/sound/core/hwdep.c
index 973d11732bfd..352047e0b33e 100644
--- a/sound/core/hwdep.c
+++ b/sound/core/hwdep.c
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ static int snd_hwdep_open(struct inode *inode, struct file * file)
 
 	if (!try_module_get(hw->card->module)) {
 		snd_card_unref(hw->card);
-		return -EFAULT;
+		return -ENODEV;
 	}
 
 	init_waitqueue_entry(&wait, current);
-- 
2.43.0

[PATCH v2 3/6] ALSA: info: Return -ENODEV instead of -EFAULT in alloc_info_private()

[phucduc.bui]

From: bui duc phuc <phucduc.bui@gmail.com>

When try_module_get() fails in alloc_info_private(), the owning module is
going away and the device is no longer usable, so -EFAULT ("bad address")
is the wrong error. Return -ENODEV, matching the other -ENODEV path in the
same function.
This changes the errno reported to userspace on this rare race.
No other behaviour changes.

Signed-off-by: bui duc phuc <phucduc.bui@gmail.com>
---
 sound/core/info.c | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/sound/core/info.c b/sound/core/info.c
index 54834dbe6b59..3b8ccda04e1a 100644
--- a/sound/core/info.c
+++ b/sound/core/info.c
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ static int alloc_info_private(struct snd_info_entry *entry,
 	if (!entry || !entry->p)
 		return -ENODEV;
 	if (!try_module_get(entry->module))
-		return -EFAULT;
+		return -ENODEV;
 	data = kzalloc_obj(*data);
 	if (!data) {
 		module_put(entry->module);
-- 
2.43.0

[PATCH v2 4/6] ALSA: mixer: oss: Return -ENODEV instead of -EFAULT in snd_mixer_oss_open()

[phucduc.bui]

From: bui duc phuc <phucduc.bui@gmail.com>

When try_module_get() fails in snd_mixer_oss_open(), the owning module is
going away and the device is no longer usable, so -EFAULT ("bad address")
is the wrong error. Return -ENODEV, matching the other unavailable-device
paths in this function(the NULL card check and the NULL mixer_oss check).
This changes the errno reported to userspace on this rare race.
No other behaviour changes.

Signed-off-by: bui duc phuc <phucduc.bui@gmail.com>
---
 sound/core/oss/mixer_oss.c | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/sound/core/oss/mixer_oss.c b/sound/core/oss/mixer_oss.c
index f5bcc7896542..3a1dd1edd26d 100644
--- a/sound/core/oss/mixer_oss.c
+++ b/sound/core/oss/mixer_oss.c
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ static int snd_mixer_oss_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 		kfree(fmixer);
 		snd_card_file_remove(card, file);
 		snd_card_unref(card);
-		return -EFAULT;
+		return -ENODEV;
 	}
 	snd_card_unref(card);
 	return 0;
-- 
2.43.0

[PATCH v2 5/6] ALSA: pcm: oss: Return -ENODEV instead of -EFAULT in snd_pcm_oss_open()

[phucduc.bui]

From: bui duc phuc <phucduc.bui@gmail.com>

When try_module_get() fails in snd_pcm_oss_open(), the owning module is
going away and the device is no longer usable, so -EFAULT ("bad address")
is the wrong error. Return -ENODEV, matching the other unavailable-device
paths in this function(the NULL pcm check and the card->shutdown check).
This changes the errno reported to userspace on this rare race.
No other behaviour changes.

Signed-off-by: bui duc phuc <phucduc.bui@gmail.com>
---
 sound/core/oss/pcm_oss.c | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/sound/core/oss/pcm_oss.c b/sound/core/oss/pcm_oss.c
index 0d7818eb3e14..8ae43755fb9b 100644
--- a/sound/core/oss/pcm_oss.c
+++ b/sound/core/oss/pcm_oss.c
@@ -2507,7 +2507,7 @@ static int snd_pcm_oss_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 	if (err < 0)
 		goto __error1;
 	if (!try_module_get(pcm->card->module)) {
-		err = -EFAULT;
+		err = -ENODEV;
 		goto __error2;
 	}
 	if (snd_task_name(current, task_name, sizeof(task_name)) < 0) {
-- 
2.43.0

[PATCH v2 6/6] ALSA: pcm: Return -ENODEV instead of -EFAULT in snd_pcm_open()

[phucduc.bui]

From: bui duc phuc <phucduc.bui@gmail.com>

When try_module_get() fails in snd_pcm_open(), the owning module is going
away and the device is no longer usable, so -EFAULT ("bad address") is the
wrong error. Return -ENODEV, matching the other unavailable-device paths
in this function(the NULL pcm check and the card->shutdown check).
This changes the errno reported to userspace on this rare race.
No other behaviour changes.

Signed-off-by: bui duc phuc <phucduc.bui@gmail.com>
---
 sound/core/pcm_native.c | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/sound/core/pcm_native.c b/sound/core/pcm_native.c
index 3462cd5275a2..4fe5fab8d096 100644
--- a/sound/core/pcm_native.c
+++ b/sound/core/pcm_native.c
@@ -2913,7 +2913,7 @@ static int snd_pcm_open(struct file *file, struct snd_pcm *pcm, int stream)
 	if (err < 0)
 		goto __error1;
 	if (!try_module_get(pcm->card->module)) {
-		err = -EFAULT;
+		err = -ENODEV;
 		goto __error2;
 	}
 	init_waitqueue_entry(&wait, current);
-- 
2.43.0

Re: [PATCH v2 0/6] ALSA: Return -ENODEV instead of -EFAULT on module-get failure

[Cezary Rojewski]

On 7/7/2026 10:45 AM, phucduc.bui@gmail.com wrote:
> From: bui duc phuc <phucduc.bui@gmail.com>
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> Several ALSA open/allocate paths call try_module_get() on the owning card
> module and return -EFAULT when it fails. However, try_module_get() fails
> when the module is no longer live (i.e. it is going away), meaning the
> device is no longer usable.
> This series updates only those paths, making the error code consistent
> with the existing "device unavailable" checks in the same functions.
> Other -EFAULT returns are left unchanged.
> 
> Link v1:
> https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260706084950.49331-1-phucduc.bui@gmail.com/
> 
> Changes in v2:
>   - Update the commit message.
>   - Remove unrelated changes from the "ALSA: control: Return -ENODEV
>     instead of -EFAULT in snd_ctl_open()" patch.
For the series:

Reviewed-by: Cezary Rojewski <cezary.rojewski@intel.com>